The Miami Heat continue to play their role as underdogs when they take on the New York Knicks in the opening game of their Eastern Conference semifinals series in New York on Sunday. The Heat (44-38), who had to beat the Chicago Bulls in the play-in tournament to qualify for the postseason, defeated the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the first round. The Knicks (47-35), finishing as the fifth seedling in the East, dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games in their Round 1 matchup. This marks the sixth time the Heat and Knicks have met in the postseason. New York has won three of the previous five series, although Miami is 15-14 against the Knicks in playoff games.
The notice from Madison Square Garden in New York is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. New York is a 5-point favorite in Caesars Sportsbook’s latest Heat vs. Knicks odds, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 209. Before you commit to Knicks vs. Heat picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting recommendations from SportsLine’s trusted computer model.
The SportsLine projection model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has generated well over $10,000 in profits for $100 players for the past 4+ seasons with its top-tier NBA picks. The model went into week three of the 2023 NBA Playoffs with a stunning 71-38 on all top-flight NBA picks that season and grossed nearly $2,800. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now the model has set its sights on Heat vs. Knicks and just laid out its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can now go to SportsLine to see the model selection. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for the Knicks vs. Heat:
- Knicks vs. heat spread: Knicks -5
- Knicks vs. Heat over/under: 209 points
- Knicks vs. Heat money line: Heat +175, Knicks -210
- MIA: The Heat is 5-1 against the spread overall in their last six games
- NY: The Knicks are 4-0 ATS in their last four games played on three or more rest days
- Knicks vs. Heat Picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game | New York Knicks versus Miami Heat
Why the Knicks can cover
Power forward Julius Randle, who is questionable with a questionable ankle injury, was hobbled in the postseason after being an offensive force in the regular season. He scored 13 points, gave out six assists and grabbed four rebounds in Wednesday’s Game 5 win in Cleveland. He produced a double-double in the series opener, scoring 19 points and catching 10 rebounds. For the postseason, he averages 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and three assists.
Shooting guard Josh Hart is one of four New York City players to average double-digit points in the postseason. In the 102-93 win in Game 4 against Cleveland, he scored 19 points and had seven rebounds. Despite only scoring four points in Game 5, he dominated the boards and racked up 12 rebounds. He had a double-double in Game 1 with 17 points and 10 rebounds. In five regular-season games against Miami, Hart averaged 11.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals, splitting his time between Portland and the Knicks. See which page is behind at SportsLine.
Why the heat can cover
Small forward Jimmy Butler has been playing at the elite level this postseason, almost single-handedly beating the top-seeded Bucks. Butler averages 37.6 points, six rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals in five postseason games. Butler had 56 points and nine rebounds in Game 4, followed by 42 points, eight rebounds and four assists in Game 5. He recorded a double-double in the Game 1 win with 35 points and 11 assists, plus five rebounds and three steals .
Point guard Gabe Vincent was also red hot, scoring double-digit goals in four of his five postseason games. In Game 5’s 128-126 overtime win over Milwaukee to win the series, Vincent scored 22 points and dished out six assists. In game 2 he scored 16 points. In the playoffs, he averaged 13 points, five assists and a rebound. He also played well in the regular season against New York. In four games against the Knicks, he averaged 12 points, 3.3 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 27 minutes. See which page is behind at SportsLine.
How to make Heat vs. Knicks picks
SportsLine’s model takes total points and projects teams to score 210 points combined. The model also says that one side of the variance is true in well over 50% of the simulations. See who you can support at SportsLine.
So who wins Knicks vs. Heat? And which side of the spread applies well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump to, everything from the model standing 71-38 on top-tier NBA picks, and find out.
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